Our Progress Tacker is available for download here. By printing out the form and filling it in each time you empty your benchtop container, you will get a sense of how much food waste you are producing and can track any changes that you are making.

In Aotearoa 122,547 ton of food is thrown out annually.

This would feed 262,917 people for a year!

Putting Food Waste in the Spotlight

The problem with waste, is that our solution is often to throw it away, ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ goes the saying.

This means we often don’t consider all the consequences of our actions, and it also removes some key feedback loops that would otherwise effect our behaviour. Becoming aware of the problem is the first step in finding a solution.

That’s why making food waste visible is so important.

There are a number of ways to do this and the KCW toolkit provides you with at least three of these tools - the progress chart, the fridge magnet and the benchtop container for collecting your waste in.

Over time, as you become more and more aware of the food waste your household is producing and as you start to put more of the food waste reduction skills into practice the amount of food waste you produce will get smaller and smaller.

Why do we waste food?

Here are some key questions that might be useful in helping you work out the main reasons for food waste in your house

Are you throwing away leftovers that went bad?

Are the plates empty after a meal, or is there always uneaten food left on them?

Love your leftovers!

Leftovers can save you money, time & they taste great.

Taking leftovers for lunch, reheating them or storing them can save you loads of money and time & some foods taste better the second time around! Tip: If they werent so great the first time add some flavour or create a whole new dish.